THE TOOLKIT
Talkers: There’s A Talker In My Audience

Here’s the situation: You’re in the middle of your presentation when you become distracted by a couple of people talking or a single person constantly making remarks under his/her breath. How do you handle the situation without coming across condescending or patronizing like as a third grade teacher disciplining students? Here are a couple of tactics to use.

1. Try closing the distance between you both.

It doesn’t help.

2. Ask, “Does anyone have any questions?”

That doesn’t help.

3. Ask an easy question to the group to get everyone discussing the topic.

No good.

4. Humorously say this to the audience:

“You would think that a ‘provocative’ issue like _______ would arouse everyone’s interest.”

Nothing is working!

5. Tell the group an anecdote. For instance:

“Most problems in communication result from not listening. For instance, Mark Twain met Winston Churchill in 1900, when Churchill was just coming into prominence as a young statesman. The occasion was a dinner in London. Churchill and Twain went out for a cigar. When they returned, Churchill was asked if he had enjoyed himself, and he replied, ‘Yes, he’s a pleasure to talk with.’ Then Twain was asked the same question. Twain hesitated and said, ‘Well… I had a good smoke.'”